The young generation is the most politically active ever - but more than ever young people are struggling to find a home with any political party. Alliance Youth is different.
With us, you set the political agenda, you determine the issues we campaign on, and you know that we will deliver. Alliance Youth is the anti-sectarian alternative to sectarian politics.
We are progressive, in that we seek to integrate our society, not divide it. We are Liberal, in that we are rooted in the same tradition that moved to end the slave trade, promote Home Rule, and deliver power-sharing. And we are international, in that we recognize we are all citizens with equal rights and responsibilities.
Alliance Youth is a new organization for a new generation - and we are growing fast! Feel free to look around our site, check out our campaigns, and most of all join us and get active!
Posted by
Stephen Martin on
Saturday ,
12 of
July ,
2008 at
10:15 pm
Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin today called for urgent action to be taken to combat the upward trend of first year students dropping out of university. The Lagan Valley representative was responding to Higher Education Statistics Agency figures, which showed that 15.2% of University of Ulster students and 7.5% of Queen’s students do not make it into their second year of study.
Stephen Martin commented, ‘Young people work hard to achieve the necessary A-level grades to attend university. Once they arrive, many find it difficult to adjust to the different environment that university life brings with much more independent learning which some students are not necessarily prepared for coming from school.  ‘While both Queen’s and the University of Ulster both have good schemes in place to ease the transition, there are still significant issues in relation to student retention.’Â
‘Students should be made more aware of what university life entails before they arrive. Emphasis must be placed on more comprehensive outreach by our universities to highlight to students what is expected of them. The first few months are crucial and are not always easy for students. It is vitally important that there are solid ‘student at risk’ structures in place to prevent drop-out situations arises.’  Stephen concluded, ‘We are weeks away from A-level results being released and the beginning of the new university year. We can not stand by and waste the potential of a young student who has worked diligently to attain a university place only to find when they arrive there they can not cope. Poor student retention is bad not just for our students and universities but for the future success of Northern Ireland’s economy.’ Â
Posted by
Admin on
Sunday ,
8 of
June ,
2008 at
4:28 pm
Last weekend, I had chance to attend the 55th Congress of Liberal International. It was a very interesting meeting with many important leader from all over the world. Â
As IFLRY‘ s representatives, we had a very nice host organization, our beloved member organisation Alliance Youth. They were key to the local details and were essential to our stay in Belfast. Thank you guys!!!, it was very nice to see you and to eat at Red Panda so to have “the best Chinese food” in all of Northern Ireland.
I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate the elected bureau of Liberal International who will be serving a new term and I hope to continue and improve relations between LI and IFLRY during their upcoming term.
At this Congress we had opportunity to get to know from first hand about situation in many places of the world. President of Senegal Mr. Abdoulaye Wade addressed the plenary at the welcome session, as well as Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai presidential candidate of Zimbabwe, who spoke with passion about the situation in Zimbabwe and the expectations and importants related to upcoming elections on June 27th
Other interesting meeting was the one between Relial (Liberal Network of Latin America) and CALD (Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats). I have opportunity to attend, at the invitation received by Relial’s president Otto Guevara, and also as Colombian. During this meeting there were representatives of Thailand, Japan, Burma, Taiwan, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Perú, Paraguay and Colombia. Participants of this meetings expressed our concerns about political situation in our countries and our regions and also the meeting discussed ways to promote cooperation among there two platforms. I mentioned to participants from Asia our interest on having young representatives of all their countries in our next Executive Committee in Manila and they were willing to find ways to send them to our event.
I also had the honour to be invited to attend Lunch of International Liberal Leaders, hosted by Graham Watson MP, Leader of ALDE (Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe) in the European Parliament. There were about 30-35 people from all continents. During this event, I had opportunity to talk with Mr. Watson about IFLRY’s activities and also about situation in Colombia and Latin America. During his speech he mentioned his happiness about new steps done by IFLRY during last years, and our improvements as an organisation.
As part of the programme content of LI Congress, it was included a panel called “An inclusive society” in which I was asked to be moderator. The panel had as objective to debate about liberal perspectives regarding exclusion and discrimination in societies. Those panelists talked about discrimination of LGBT people around the world, but also about political exclusion that have been happening in Zimbabwe.
Besides those interesting topics, there were also funny things: my biography was printed in event book but my name was misspelled, so I suddenly became into Paola da Silva. It sounded as Brazilian and at the end even people from Latin America who knew me for long time ago, decided to introduce me to people as Paola da Silva.компютри
Therefore, during this Congress there were many participants who came to me and to some other bureau and IFLRY representative to tell us their stories when they were members of bureau or attended an IFLRY event. Among this people it was Graham Watson, leader of ALDE and who mentioned me those times when he was IFLRY’s secretary general and Roman Jaki? from Slovenina who alse served as bureau member some years ago. Besides, our dearest Martin Sjögren who was a former Vicepresident of IFLRY and can not get enough of liberal politics, and of course our lovely Emilianito Kirjas who has never left the IFLRY family, just came to London to study and became LI’s Secretary General to be closer to us.
The LI Congress was a great event for IFLRY to promote that there is an active youth movement. As we were a group, we often divided ourselves between the workshops. My stories here are of the sessions that I attended, but the other delegates would have other stories to share as there were parallel sessions running daily. We gain a lot of exposer at this event, and I hope it continues.
Posted by
Stephen Martin on
Thursday ,
5 of
June ,
2008 at
11:23 pm
Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin has sent his congratulations to Councillor Ian Parsley, his predeceasor as Chair of the Alliance Party’s youth wing, following his unanimous election as Deputy Mayor of North Down.
Stephen Martin stated ‘I am delighted at Ian’s election as Deputy Mayor of North Down. Ian Parsley proved a highly successful Chair of Alliance Youth, leading our youth wing from 2003 through to 2007, engineering a period of revival and success. I believe it was fitting that his election was witnessed by a number of Alliance Youth members who made the trip to Bangor to see our former Chief take up his new role.’
Stephen continued, ‘Elected as a Councillor for Holywood in the 2005 Council elections, Ian had the courage of his convictions and gained a second seat for Alliance in his ward. An example of how young people can make a impact in electoral politics, Ian has brought true commitment and dedication to his Council activites and I have no doubt that he will serve the people of North Down to the best of his considerable ability. I wish Councillor Parsley every success for the year ahead.’
Posted by
Stephen Martin on
Thursday ,
5 of
June ,
2008 at
11:22 pm
Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin today commended the Health Promotion Agency following their launch of a new campaign aimed at encouraging young men to recognise the importance of good mental health but urged the need for the Executive to resource support services adequately and targeted in such a way that those in trouble can avail of quality professional help when they need it.
Stephen commented, ‘Perhaps it is a cultural attitude but us guys tend to be bottlers! It is not the done thing for a young lad to confide in his friends, when things are beginning to get on top of him.’
‘Facts speak for themselves. Recent studies show that 72% of suicide victims are male with young men in and around my age, from 15 to 24 years old, are over three times more likely than a girl of the same age to commit suicide.’
‘There are families and communities across Northern Ireland that know only too well the tragic cost of what happens when mental health issues spiral into something much more terrifying. Talking your problems out is not a sign of weakness. You will not get mocked. People will not think any less of you by opening up. By getting these things off your chest, you’ll end up lifting what previously seemed a huge burden. So lads, what are you waiting for?’
Posted by
Stephen Martin on
Wednesday ,
4 of
June ,
2008 at
12:28 am
Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin today hailed the stunning nomination of Senator Barack Obama of Illinois as the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States. Senator Obama clinched his Party’s nomination late last night as one of the most nail-biting American primary seasons in history ended.
Stephen commented: ‘Senator Barack Obama burst onto the scene with a memorable speech which vowed the Democratic National Convention back in 2004. Elected to the United States Senate in November of that year, Senator Obama has worked since then to advocate a progressive agenda especially in international affairs with key legislative successes including bipartisan bills on nuclear terrorism and climate change in only a short time in national politics.’
‘Given that, Senator Obama’s ability to inspire a whole generation of young people not just in the United States but internationally as well has been beyond extraordinary. Today I send my congratulations to Alliance Youth’s partners, the Young Democrats of America, and their Chair, David Hardt, in the selection of their Presidential nominee and best wishes as they work towards victory in November’s general election.’